Pharmaceutical R&D: A Global Journey from China to East Africa

Pharmaceutical research and development is an intricate endeavor characterized by high technology, high risk, significant investment, and long cycles. The Contract Research Organization (CRO) industry plays a pivotal role throughout the drug lifecycle, offering integrated, full-spectrum services from research and development to production and marketing. As China's pharmaceutical sector advances into the era of innovative medicines, with escalating R&D expenditure and a maturing domestic market, internationalization has become a strategic imperative for major pharmaceutical companies.

In 2013, Sinopharm East Africa Limited was established to meet this need, partnering with numerous leading domestic firms to establish a comprehensive platform for clinical research, product registration, academic exchanges, and market promotion. In 2017, we facilitated the successful convening of a Health Ministers' Conference involving five African nations in Kenya. By 2021, Neobio Laboratory, a subsidiary of Sinopharm East Africa, received top-tier laboratory accreditation from the Kenyan Ministry of Health, becoming the designated COVID-19 testing facility for both the Kenyan Government and the Chinese Embassy in Kenya. In May 2022, we entered into a partnership with China Biologics, aiming to broaden and deepen cooperation in Kenya and across East Africa. This led to the successful registration and subsequent launch in early 2023 of China Biologics' Varicella, Pneumococcus, and Poliomyelitis vaccines in Kenya. In early 2024, our Phase III clinical trial collaboration with China Biologics commenced in Kenya, marking a new chapter in Chinese pharmaceuticals' global outreach.

Our Chairman, Mr. Wu Hongjin, brings over three decades of experience working in Africa and maintains a longstanding, amicable relationship with the Kenyan Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO). Our core team, each with over two decades of international experience, is deeply rooted in the Kenyan and East African pharmaceutical markets, equipped with practical expertise to precisely align with Chinese enterprises' requirements and offer tailored services.

As of 2023, East Africa's eight countries are home to over 320 million people, contributing to Africa's total population of 1.4 billion. Amidst the challenges of infectious disease control, basic vaccination programs form the bedrock of public health initiatives. Vaccines such as BCG, OPV/IPV, Measles, DTP, Hepatitis B, Rubella, Hib, PCV, Rotavirus, HPV, Yellow Fever, and Malaria, which are widely available in China, require large-scale administration in Africa. These essential vaccines currently fall short of WHO targets in Africa, indicating substantial market potential.

Kenya enjoys a stable socio-economic environment and maintains robust trade relations with China, adhering to EU and WHO pharmaceutical standards. Chinese vaccines that complete Phase III clinical trials in Kenya and secure prequalification from the WHO gain a passport to Africa and the world. Together with you, Sinopharm East Africa is dedicated to expanding the global health map, sharing China's medical wisdom with every corner of the globe.

Below are selected success stories showcasing Sinopharm East Africa's assistance in securing product registrations for Chinese manufacturers in Kenya: